In the Media

Phone interview before Indianapolis MotoGP with the BBC World service.7th August 2015.

This is an interview that was played on the BBC sportsworld program and can be listened to here by clicking the photo. It was done at ﻿5am﻿ yes thats right 5AM from my hotel room in Indianapolis before the weekend. Alway hard to do phone interviews because you can not read the interviwers face for improved answers. We spoke for 15 min and they had only room for 3, always the way.Enjoy. AB

Matt Oxley's Article with Gold & Goose photos that appeared in several places. This was from Australian MCN (you can download the magazine using Newsstand)

MotoGP After the Flag VideoMay 2014

Dylan has a chat with me on the pit wall on friday afternoon at the Jerez GP. Things went well for us there as we finished 2nd. The chat was probably 20m, but it was obviously edited down to fit the format. It was done with two cameras and the funny cheek mics. I reckon they look weird but thy say the quality is great especially in noisy situations.

UK's most popular motorcycle publication MCN gives Wrench Racer some love with a write up in their "Buying & Selling" section.

Big thanks to Mathew Birt who is one of the hardest working MotoGP journalists in the paddock. Im sure Matt put in a good word about Wrench Racer to the editor.

Wrench Racer, top right!

MotoPod's had a chat with me. December 2013

I had a chat with Dave Neal of MotoPod. Dave had been trying to organise it for a long time and now that I'm home he got up one morning early and I stayed up late and with the help of Skype we had a chat! If you would like to listen then click on the link below. If you just want to listen to me rave on the go to the 2:26:15 mark.

Click on MotoPod's logo to head to their site & download podcasts to keep you company on long drives, flights or when your in-laws come over!

ALEX BRIGGS, MECHANICAL ROSSIsince 2000 and previouslyMick Doohan, besides being veryactive in social networks has createdits own line of clothing under the nameof "Wrench Racer". Of time thecollection is not very extensive and haswith several shirts and hats, butits design is very attractive and,course, is clearly inspiredin racing and particularlyin mechanical ... You might liketake a look on their website: www.wrenchracer.com.

Greg's Garage October 2013

I meet Greg every time I go to Laguna Seca, it did not take me long to figure out he was a great guy who loves bikes. Greg has been doing power sports television, both in front of and behind the camera, for 15 years. The last time I saw greg I told him about Wrench Racer and gave him a hat and a T Shirt. Then not long ago his latest episode of Greg's Garage came out and guess who's T shirt is he wearing?..................... thats right!

Click on the image to go and watch the show and check out all the others, they are great and have a tone of info on a massive range of topics.

Bike Magazine Article September 2013 Edition.

This interview was going to be just a small piece about tools.I got an email from Simon Hargreves from UK Bike Magazine via Yamaha's media department asking if I could help Simon with it. They sent photographer "Chippy" to take a few photos at the Barcelona or German GP (I forget now?) of some of the tools we use and then we arranged to talk about them before Assen on the phone.

So we did that and Simon recorded most of the conversation, but me and Simon just started talking about all sorts of stuff and in the end Simon said he would like to write a bit bigger article than was first thought. So Chippy came back to take a few more photos, Simon wrote a longer article and it went into the September edition.

The story in the end still got cut down a bit so it would fit the magazines format.

Now the next Issue is on the stands I thought you might like to read it.Click on the PDF logo below to download a PDF version

BT Sport interview in the pits at the British Grand Prix September 2013

This was a quick interview done on friday during our lunch break. They said it would take less than ten minutes and true to there word it did. (normally when TV people say its ten minutes its a minimum half an hour!) It was a one take interview and the only had to edit it once when I said "take the piss" so I thinks thats pretty good for me! When I said take the piss I saw his eyebrow raise so I then said "take the Micky" and they edited that in, see if you can pick it! (I've since learnt that is not much better).

MCN interview Made at the end of 2010

Bit of background to the magazine interview below.

MCNs Guy Proctor contacted me as he was bringing back a publication called MCN sport. It was to be a "Bookazine". The first new issue was to include a large spread on Valentino Rossi and Guy wanted to do something on what it was like to work in the team so he asked me a few questions. Most photos are from my Twitter feed and the large one is on the grid five or six days into my Movember effort of the year! Guy gave me permission to re publish it here. Enjoy.AB

"Meet Alex Briggs" An Interview with Azi Farni made for MotoGP

click here to got to the interview on motogp.com

motogp.com goes behind the scenes in the MotoGP Paddock to introduce you to the people who help make the World Championship function from weekend to weekend and starting the series is Alex Briggs, mechanic for Valentino Rossi on the Fiat Yamaha team.In the attached free video the Australian talks at length to motogp.com’s Azi Farni about working with the reigning World Champion, his famous chief mechanic Jeremy Burgess, and all the details of his role. Alex’s addiction to Twitter is also discussed!

This Interview was fun and the longest I have done that was recorded, the worst part about this interview is it was done prior to Valentino breaking his leg in Mugello. I always think about that now when I see this.

What does it take to be Valentino Rossi’s mechanic? What is it like to be Valentino Rossi’s mechanic? Alex Briggs has some of the answers, and more, including how he came to be one of the biggest sensations in motorbike racing on Twitter.The #1 question we get is “How do I get that job?” W hat it takes to get a job at your level and what is the process to achieve it? Could you also give all the mechanics out there some tips on how to one day be in a garage at the Grand Prix level?Alex Briggs: Most people get a job in the paddock through word of mouth. My story goes like this: I raced motocross in Australia and was OK but not great. To support my motocross habit and my future I had become an Apprentice mechanic for a government bus company in Australia’s capital city Canberra.I was a decent rider but afraid I was not going to reach my schoolboy dream of being a motocross champion. I had become friends with many good riders and begun to travel with them to races. I would drive to Sydney and drop my van at their house and put my bike in their van or vice versa then we would split the cost as we raced around Australia. Sometimes I would work on their bikes for them including suspension and engine rebuilds and when they were successful people would ask them who had worked on their bikes. So eventually I was sitting at home with a broken tail bone(from a Motocross crash) and the phone rang. It was the manager of the Australian Yamaha motocross team asking if I would like to work for them.I said yes – it was a big decision for me because I had to come to the reality that I was never going to be fast enough to make a living from racing motocross. The dream had ended. Little did I realise that a new one had just began.So I took a pay cut of over half and went to Sydney and did that for a few years. I ended up working for one of Australia’s top riders, Craig Dack who now owns the best motocross team in Australia.During the time there I met Peter Luczkowski who was a mechanic for Mick Doohan. He previously had worked for Jeff Leisk who rode for HRC in the European Motocross championship. I also met Gary Benn who was running Yamaha’s motocross team in Europe (both Australians). I told them both that I wanted to work in Europe as a motocross mechanic. Towards the end of 1992 Gary offered me a job in Europe for the 93 motocross season and whilst at the motocross des nations in Perth Australia I shook hands with Gary and the deal was done.I drove the truck to Brisbane (bloody long way, funny story about that for another time); when I arrived in Brisbane I had a message to ring some guy called Jerry Burgess. I rang JB and he offered me a job in road racing for Darrel Beattie and Rothmans Honda.So then I spoke to Gary and told him as we had shaken on it I would be working for him. Gary said to me “Go road racing its cleaner” so I must thank Gary for that.I rang JB back and he said OK you have the job. I said just like that and JB said “don’t worry I can sack you at any time”.So to answer the question its seems to be word of mouth. But the word of mouth is recommendations and you will get that if you are trustworthy and are able to get on with a wide variety of people and can cope with being away from home and various other small things that some people can’t handle. Don’t get me wrong, the mechanical skill side is very important but many people have that ability and to be honest probably greater than me but that alone is not what makes a racing mechanic.Could you explain what is behind taking fuel samples at the end of a race?Alex Briggs: Fuel is a bit like blood for a human. If you pump some steroids into it you can have wonderful improvements so they check the fuel to make sure it’s not rocket fuel!! After every race the top three must undergo a few checks. The bikes are weighed also the exhaust sound is measured and the fuel is sampled to make sure all of those things are within the regulations. The bikes are kept there an hour in case of a protest by another team. They only need a tiny amount of fuel as the tests are not really run on that fuel. This has been done much earlier buy the fuel supplier and what we are checked for is just like DNA to see if it’s from the tested batch. They call it a finger print.Based on your experience, what is the key to have a better set up on the new 800s? And the differences from the 990 era? What are your thoughts on going back to the 1000cc engines?Alex Briggs: It seems to me the bigger the capacity the less critical the setup. As we have gone down in capacity the adjustments have become smaller and more sensitive. But that’s not really the truth. The longer the configuration remains in the rule book the harder the competition gets over time. Whatever works ends up on all bikes and then to improve one over the other the setup becomes more and more critical – what was once 5mm movements is now .5 and so on.My personal thoughts on going 1000cc racing is if we go there with what we have learned in the last few years they will be unbelievably fast. My guess is to go to that capacity we will end up with heavy controls and restrictions. I think they should give some thought to a four speed gearbox to reduce speed and promote good engine design.I believe in more of an open competition model; I think that breeds far better bikes for all. I believe there should be competition from sparkplugs to tires.I also believe with regards to reducing expenses there are many very simple things that for whatever reason have or will not be implemented.But hey what would I know I’m just a bus mechanic.You surely have one of the most interesting view and knowledge of some of the greatest riders in the GPs. What do you think people like Mick Doohan and Valentino Rossi have in common while they are in the garage?Alex Briggs: When they are in the garage for both of them it becomes a sanctuary. It’s where they can be themselves and relax. This is why they are here. To race and they know we are the same so it’s easy for them.Mick often rode well using aggression where Valentino rides well if he is happy. But both of them have what all the best racers have, they see things in slow motion, you and I can hardly keep up with what they see. The slower they see it the faster they go. They ride to their limit, which is far beyond yours or mine.What is the coolest or strangest scene you can recall dealing with Valentino?Alex Briggs: Having worked for him now for 11 years there are so many cool and strange things it is impossible to tell you just one. You just need to know that he has a fantastic sense of humour and we spend most of our conversations laughing. He is a fantastic story teller.We have had great fun in discos, rental cars, parties in his home town, restaurants and special functions.Watching the public’s reaction to him is always funny. Girls flashing him, crying. It’s endless the things that happen. Sometimes they stand at the back of the garage all day with a pen in their hand waiting for a signature and when the rider finally walks out and they come face to face with him, he will say “ciao how are you” and smile, the girl will freeze and say nothing as he walks away - they stand still and cry, pen still in hand.A funny story you will like happened at Laguna Seca during a pit lane walk, a girl yells out “Valentino you are the shit” the rider turned to me and said “I am a shit.????” I explained “No no you are THE SHIT” and that it was a good thing. From that day on we still use that term sometimes between us.More to come in Part 2 on Saturday!

Vale’s a very unique sportsman. He really cares about tiny things, from the stickers to his M1 and thousands of small other things – always keen to gain the maximum concentration. Have you seen any new superstitions made by him lately?Alex Briggs: All the good riders I know have superstitions but I will not tell you their private ones as that’s how they should remain.But the ones you already know are normally number based; 4 for the Japanese riders, 13 for UK, US and Australians. 17 for Italians. And sure there are more. Valentino also has habits like only getting on and off the bike the same way every time. Holding the foot peg in a crouch before he rides, etc.On our team we just look for the number 46 in things and say “it’s a sign” – it’s kind of a game but unbelievable how many times it appears!One superstition Valentino does not do anymore is when he got new leathers he used to go to pit lane and lie on his back and one of us would pull him along a bit to scratch the leathers to ward off crashes (Colin still does this). So the rider went out and did a couple of laps and crashed. When he came back to the garage all dusty he said “that doesn’t work” that was the last time we did that!Vale’s crash during Free Practice 2 at Mugello sent shockwaves through the motorcycle racing world. Everyone is definitely wishing him a speedy recovery and return to the MotoGP grid. Due to the team’s commitment to Dorna, Fiat Yamaha Team will have to name a substitute rider within a few weeks. With the arrival of the yet to be announced substitute rider, will you create a baseline setup based on data gathered from Rossi, or will you have to start from a different direction based on the replacement rider’s riding style and ability to provide feedback?Alex Briggs: This is so very hypothetical. But let’s say the new rider has no experience on the M1 at all. It’s not that tricky. We have all jumped on a friends bike and gone around the block or round the track and when we get back we say to our friend “wow how good does it pull from the bottom, but dude I hate the grips you have” or something like that. It’s not that different at the top.With a bit of help, Valentino Rossi has made the best racing motorcycles Honda and Yamaha have ever had. In both companies the base bike was able to be ridden by a wide range of riders. Once you find the setting that suits your rider you can then use the data from VR to reference from. For example you may find that your rider is two spring rates softer on the rear and one on the front and that the rear ride height is 4mm lower from VRs . So then you move on to the next track and start with VRs settings but employing your base line mods! Hope that make sense. Our team is very much “listen to the rider”. The computer is a very powerful tool and more and more important but only if you use it after the rider speaks not before!Can you share your thoughts to where you see yourself in a few years or the next step in your career?Alex Briggs: People ask this question often, to be exact every year I get asked will you do another year?? This has happened every year for 18 years, and every year I never really know. I sign year to year contracts.Right now I work for the best rider in history and I was there for the first race in the premiere class and I intend to be there for the last race!I would probably like to try my hand at chief mechanic in the future but it’s more important to me be in a group of guys like ours where we all want to win above all else and do it laughing our guts out every day!The broadcast team on MotoGP.com refers to you as “The King of Twitter” – how did you find your way into social media?Alex Briggs: I have a friend Suzi Perry who was a presenter for the BBC; she had told me about it and I just mucked around and my wife and I signed up separate accounts just to see and for a while I had 8 followers, two of which were Russian hookers, I felt sad when I deleted them and fell back to six!It’s a useful tool for my wife as she is a stand up comedian and can use it to advertise upcoming gigs. (www.ellenbriggs.com.au)I was unsure of it for a while but really enjoy it now. I basically am doing it to let people see what it’s like to be a mechanic for Valentino Rossi and to show people behind pit lane. It grew like crazy at the Malaysia test this year and partly due to Suzi and Ross Noble telling people to follow me. I told William our press guy that we/I may have a problem but to my surprise he was very keen on it and said that Fiat wanted a social network presence and they are very happy so I am allowed to carry on.

This interview was taken from MRR website with permission from MotoRace reports. If you would like to read the interview as it was originally shown then please click here